E3 2011

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Its full name is Electronic Entertainment Expo, but it’s popularly called E3. It is held annually in L.A. (the first in 1995) and despite a couple of young, tough competitors it is still the bellwether fair for videogame professionals and enthusiasts. Furthermore, amidst special events, presentations, non-sectorial superstar cameos (e.g. Kobe Bryant) and assorted high-tech gizmos, E3 is the most effective media lever for launching new products, for unleashing the avid fantasies of millions of purchasers and for picking up on sector trends.

These are a few thoughts in the wake of the 2011 E3, which was held in early June. The most impressive hardware? Despite the enthusiastic reaction to Playstation Vita (the heir to PSP), Nintendo replicated the revolution it started in 2006 with Wii. The Japanese manufacturer’s new controller, Wii U, incorporates a touchscreen with full-HD graphics and an ultra-precise motion control system while being as portable as a mini console.

The next blockbusters? While cybernetic “pacifists” will opt en masse for the amazing Super Mario 3DS or Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception, most action game fans will rush to buy Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 or Halo 4, the latter being the first title in the saga not to be developed by Bungie Studios. However, in this genre the best title – in terms of realism and performance of the new game engine, Frostbite 2 – seems to be Battlefield 3. Comparing Battlefield 3 to Call of Duty is like comparing a film by the Dardenne brothers to a Hollywood blockbuster.

On the subject of movies, while the production of series has become a well-established narrative and commercial strategy in the videogame universe (the eagerly-awaited Assassin's Creed Revelations, BioShock Infinite, Batman: Arkham City, Mass Effect 3 and Final Fantasy XIII amazed everyone), the fashion for reboots seems to have only just started its invasion of pixels and joypads. In fact two franchises acquired new life through a youthful Lara Croft (in the new, revamped Tomb Raider) and a total restyling for Resident Evil (whose new Operation Racoon City focuses on nonlinear gameplay and online cooperation).

Changes in the air among sports games, too, where the new Player Impact Engine of FIFA 12 promises a gaming experience that … makes a hit. Not all game release dates have been firmly established, but E3 makes one thing perfectly clear: in addition to something for everyone, there’s something for all budgets.